Hoops Habit
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NBA Trade Deadline Deals That Led to Championships

By Maxwell Ogden

Jan 16, 2016; Auburn Hills, MI, USA; (Left to Right) Larry Brown and William Wesley and Tayshaun Prince and Richard Hamilton and Mehmet Okur and Chauncy Billups and Rasheed Wallace and Ben Wallace and Lindsey Hunter pose for a photo after the game against the Golden State Warriors at The Palace of Auburn Hills. The Pistons won 113-95. Mandatory Credit: Raj Mehta-USA TODAY Sports
Jan 16, 2016; Auburn Hills, MI, USA; (Left to Right) Larry Brown and William Wesley and Tayshaun Prince and Richard Hamilton and Mehmet Okur and Chauncy Billups and Rasheed Wallace and Ben Wallace and Lindsey Hunter pose for a photo after the game against the Golden State Warriors at The Palace of Auburn Hills. The Pistons won 113-95. Mandatory Credit: Raj Mehta-USA TODAY Sports /
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Jun 19, 2015; Oakland, CA, USA; Golden State Warriors center Andrew Bogut (12) speaks during the Golden State Warriors 2015 championship celebration at the Henry J. Kaiser Convention Center. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports
Jun 19, 2015; Oakland, CA, USA; Golden State Warriors center Andrew Bogut (12) speaks during the Golden State Warriors 2015 championship celebration at the Henry J. Kaiser Convention Center. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports /

2012: Andrew Bogut to the Golden State Warriors

No one in their right mind will tell you that Andrew Bogut is the reason for the Golden State Warriors’ success. What cannot be underestimated, however, is how brilliant and influential of a trade this was in the face of adversity.

You may not hear much about it today, but when fan favorite and franchise player Monta Ellis was traded in 2012, people were furious.

Moving forward with an injury-prone Bogut at center and an Ellis-less backcourt, Golden State’s future was unclear. What transpired over the next three seasons was the cultivation of a roster that wouldn’t have been possible without this trade.

Ellis himself said as much during an interview with Sirius XM Radio.

"“I think everything happens for a reason. I think if I was there, we probably wouldn’t have won a championship. That’s just how I am. Like I said, everything happens for a reason. Everybody said that when I made the comment about me and Steph wasn’t going to make it because we’re too small — I didn’t tell that story. When they moved one of us, look what happened. So they moved me, and they win the championship. They have a bigger lineup with Klay [Thompson] at the 2, and then they’ve got Harrison Barnes to back him up. What I said, it was true. If me and him would still be there, I think it would’ve been hard for us to win there with us both being small in the backcourt.”"

A great measure of respect should be dealt to Ellis for recognizing how important it was for Golden State to trade him when he was the face of the franchise.

By dealing Ellis, the Warriors put the trust of the organization in the hands of a polarizing young point guard named Stephen Curry. Curry is now an MVP with a second trophy on the way.

Perhaps most significantly, Curry’s backcourt partner, Klay Thompson, didn’t receive his chance to shine until after the Ellis trade—something that enabled him to develop into an All-NBA talent.

There’s more to it than Bogut’s arrival and the emergence of The Splash Brothers, but without this trade, Golden State wouldn’t have been able to build the roster it has today. It would’ve relied heavily on an undersized backcourt that lacked the defensive proficiency of the current team.

It took three years from when the trade was executed to win a title, but by placing a higher emphasis on defense—Bogut—than offense—Ellis—Golden State committed to the vision that won it a championship in 2015.

More hoops habit: Can the next Andrew Bogut be found in the 2016 NBA Draft?

The question is, who might your favorite team’s trade deadline steal be in 2016?